Is Taro, a fisherman's son, destined for greatness?
In the course of a day, Taro's entire life changes: His father is murdered before his...
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Jun 07, 2011
A&E
rated it: 
Young Taro is living the simple life of a fisherman with his best friend Hiro until he is assaulted by ninjas in his humble village.
Luckily he is saved by a mysterious ninja (hehehe) named Shusaku but before they are safe Taro is fatally wounded and must choose between death or becoming a myth - vampire.
Blood Ninja is an excellent book although I had a few issues with the end. It was like a Quentin Tarantino movie. But more on that later...
The characters feel real a More...
Luckily he is saved by a mysterious ninja (hehehe) named Shusaku but before they are safe Taro is fatally wounded and must choose between death or becoming a myth - vampire.
Blood Ninja is an excellent book although I had a few issues with the end. It was like a Quentin Tarantino movie. But more on that later...
The characters feel real a More...
Jan 20, 2012
Oscar
rated it: 
In Blood Ninja, the protaganist Taro starts as a peasant that fishes for a living, living with his parents and his best friend, whom he saved at childhood upon thier first encounter. But it all changes his family is attacked by ninja. He, his friend, and his mother were saved, but his father was killed an Taro vowed vengence. His savior soon came his mentor, when he had changed Taro into a Vampire to save his life, revealing to him the life of a vampire, as ninja, for all ninjas were vampir
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Aug 03, 2011
Kate
rated it: 
Blood Ninja completely blew me away with its creativity. I mean ninjas and vampires... in the same novel. How awesome is that? But I quickly realized that Blood Ninja was also different for another reason.
As a reader and a lover of the Japanese culture, I almost instantly appreciated Lake's eye for detail. He infuses so much of the Japanese culture into Blood Ninja. From the lush setting to the epic tales, I was completely in heaven. However, for readers not familiar with Japanese cult More...
As a reader and a lover of the Japanese culture, I almost instantly appreciated Lake's eye for detail. He infuses so much of the Japanese culture into Blood Ninja. From the lush setting to the epic tales, I was completely in heaven. However, for readers not familiar with Japanese cult More...
Jul 06, 2011
ηicolε
rated it:
I have to admit that when I first picked up this book, I didn’t know it had anything to do with vampires. Sometimes, stupid as I am, instead of reading the synopsis on the back cover, I just read the first few pages and see if I like the writing style. Don’t pummel me, I’ve learnt my lesson.
Blood Ninja, written by Nick Lake, takes place in Shirahama, Japan (for the first few chapters) in the sixteenth century. This fact, paired with the novel being entitled ‘Blood Ninja,’ is pretty mu More...
Blood Ninja, written by Nick Lake, takes place in Shirahama, Japan (for the first few chapters) in the sixteenth century. This fact, paired with the novel being entitled ‘Blood Ninja,’ is pretty mu More...
Feb 11, 2011
Imani
rated it: 
I wish this would have been translated badly over to english from japanese. Atleast that would give this book an excuse for the crappy dialogue that has now infected my brain.
I've never seen a book. That uses. So many. Periods. Throughout the dialogue. To explain. Things that could. Easily be. Explained without. The periods. At all. Thus we. Have sentences. Like this.
Except that they are badly written and much much more confusing. Did they really talk like that?
The chara More...
I've never seen a book. That uses. So many. Periods. Throughout the dialogue. To explain. Things that could. Easily be. Explained without. The periods. At all. Thus we. Have sentences. Like this.
Except that they are badly written and much much more confusing. Did they really talk like that?
The chara More...
Dec 30, 2010
Karissa
rated it:
I got this book through the Amazon Vine program. I like vampires and ninjas so I thought it would be an interesting read. I was a little worried (based on the title and the cover) that this book would be too corny for me or a bit over the top. It was neither of those. It was very well-done and, if anything, a bit too devoid of any humor. It is also not a stand-alone book, which I didn't know.
Taro is a fisherman's son. At least that is what he is raised to believe. He is in for a rude s More...
Taro is a fisherman's son. At least that is what he is raised to believe. He is in for a rude s More...
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Jul 08, 2010
Kristen
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Feb 18, 2010
Newengland
rated it:
Bloody fun, that's what. Just don't go spoiling things by looking for deep characters or poetic descriptions. No, no, no. This is Saturday matinee stuff, so break out the Jujubes and enjoy (especially the red ones). I promise you an impressive body count by page 20. And vampires. Does that surprise you? You mean, you didn't KNOW that all ninjas are vampires? Where've you been, anyway? All those superhuman, amazingly-agile, stunningly-strong moves don't come out of nowhere! It takes blo
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Nov 02, 2011
Hayley
rated it:
I really liked this book - it was fast paced, with just enough suspense to keep me on the edge of my seat without it getting boring. It wasn't quite as cheesy as I would have thought - what with the main characters being bot Vampires and Ninjas! Niki Lake did a great job on this book.
I don't give it 5 stars, though, because of the tempo of the book. As I said before, it was fast paced, and I like that normally, however in this book there wasn't quite enough time for me to digest inform
Aug 11, 2011
SJH (A Dream of Books)
rated it:
This is the perfect book for teenage boys looking for an exciting read with a gutsy hero and plenty of thrills and spills along the way. It appealed to me mainly because it's set in sixteenth century Japan, which is a country I always find endlessly fascinating and also because the concept for the story sounded so fantastic and amazing. The title itself, 'Blood Ninja' was hugely intriguing and had me reaching for the book nearly as soon as it arrived.
The story is about a young fish More...
The story is about a young fish More...
Jul 30, 2010
Beth_Adele
rated it: 
I was dubious at first, picking up this book already knowing it was another story cashing in on the vampire explosion. I was pleasantly surprised. The vampire part was, by all means, downplayed and I believe the story was better for it. It's like a buddy flick for boys in print. And it's not just for the boys, the world of Ninja represents for the girls too.
Though some of the characters seem less defined and not as full as some of the others, I am more inclined to believe it is because th More...
Though some of the characters seem less defined and not as full as some of the others, I am more inclined to believe it is because th More...
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Jul 12, 2011
Sanna
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General Summary: After his father is murdered and a ninja saves his life, Taro discovers the connection between ninjas and vampires and finds himself being dragged into a bitter conflict between the rival lords ruling Japan.
My Review:
I've shed tears for this book (July 11, 2011 9:43 AM)! It is one book in a long time that actually made me cry; tears spilled down rapidly as I try to control myself. *totally admires Shusaku* It is actually the death of Shusaku, one of the major More...
My Review:
I've shed tears for this book (July 11, 2011 9:43 AM)! It is one book in a long time that actually made me cry; tears spilled down rapidly as I try to control myself. *totally admires Shusaku* It is actually the death of Shusaku, one of the major More...
May 10, 2010
Tabitha
rated it:
The first half of this book held my interest intensely. I could hardly put it down. But the second half slowed down significantly, and the main character started doing things that I had a hard time believing he would do (such as the incident with his bow). From that first incident, there were many more, and it seemed like a different set of characters had taken over the story. Also, the prose switched from engaging and interesting to dry and a bit verbose. As a result, I struggled through t
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Aug 11, 2011
Neilr
rated it:
I bought this book not realising it was a vampire book aimed at teenage boys.
I managed to get through it but the writing isn't the best and the characters aren't believable at all, they seem to change personality during the book.
It was one of those books where something would happen and I thought "that doesn't make sense but i'll keep reading and see what happens". This happened several times during the book.
One thing that wasn't supposed to be funny More...
I managed to get through it but the writing isn't the best and the characters aren't believable at all, they seem to change personality during the book.
It was one of those books where something would happen and I thought "that doesn't make sense but i'll keep reading and see what happens". This happened several times during the book.
One thing that wasn't supposed to be funny More...
Apr 30, 2010
Wally
rated it:
It was inevitable that someone would have the bright idea of combining ninjas and vampires into one action-packed adventure (with the promise of a sequel at the end), but with this element of the supernatural, can it still be called historical fiction?
Taro and Hiro are best friends in a fishing village in 16th Century Japan. When Taro's father is assassinated and he is run through with a sword, his only escape is through the energizing bite of a vampire-ninja whose action saves his More...
Taro and Hiro are best friends in a fishing village in 16th Century Japan. When Taro's father is assassinated and he is run through with a sword, his only escape is through the energizing bite of a vampire-ninja whose action saves his More...
Feb 27, 2011
Myra
rated it:
This book is one of the two books I've read that mash together entirely different ideas and somehow manage to make them work. (The other book was Beautiful Creatures, which combines a dusty, old, boring town in the South- with a typical Southern mentality- with a very gothic theme.) This particular book does vampires and ninjas. I thought the same thing everyone thinks when they hear vampires and ninjas in the same sentence: "What?" but Nick Lake proved that it could work. :) He proved
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Nov 23, 2009
Sherrie
rated it:
I read this as a review ARC for VOYA, it's one of the few books they assign to me that I would have never read otherwise. It features ninjas who are also vampires, so my first question naturally was: are ninja vampires the Reeses peanut butter cup of literature, two great tastes that taste great together? The answer is yes and no- there was a great emphasis on the ninja angle and the bloodsuckers sort of got short shrift. The book was okay, but if a vampire fan reads it expecting to get lots
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Apr 11, 2011
Isabella
rated it:
The summary on the back cover? I honestly only picked up this book cause I needed something to read. I was very pleasantly surprised upon discovering a few things: 1) this book was historically accurate, as far as the time period and what was going on at the time (gloss over the fictional aspects such as the Buddha Ball). 2)Lake has perfectly blended three genres, and ones no one would expect to go together at that- feudal Japan, ninjas, and vampires (or, as he says it, kyuuketsuki). 3)the writi
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Sep 17, 2011
Kyleigh
rated it:
When I read this, at first, I was confused. Not just a simple confused, but a deep kind of confused. And then it clicked. Vampires, and ninja.
Move over Twilight. No need for sparkles here.
This combines the best of both worlds, really. When explaining this book to people, I often say, "All ninja are vampires, but not all vampires are ninja." It's written excellently, I love it to death, and the characters are all just so animated. You get fiercely attached to them. More...
Move over Twilight. No need for sparkles here.
This combines the best of both worlds, really. When explaining this book to people, I often say, "All ninja are vampires, but not all vampires are ninja." It's written excellently, I love it to death, and the characters are all just so animated. You get fiercely attached to them. More...
May 17, 2010
Frezanda
rated it:
Ninja is actually vampire!
This is quite an original story ( I never even find any manga that has similar idea). Because of that, I started reading with a jubilant mode, expecting to be entertained.
Well....
The execution is not as good as the idea.
First, I don't like the main character, Taro. Character wise, he was raw. He tends to be repetitive ( See second reason), a bit of an idiot ( but didn't know it), and somehow has the best of luck out of all the characters ( the More...
This is quite an original story ( I never even find any manga that has similar idea). Because of that, I started reading with a jubilant mode, expecting to be entertained.
Well....
The execution is not as good as the idea.
First, I don't like the main character, Taro. Character wise, he was raw. He tends to be repetitive ( See second reason), a bit of an idiot ( but didn't know it), and somehow has the best of luck out of all the characters ( the More...
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Mar 07, 2011
Jennifer
rated it:
There are so many vampire books are out lately, that it's nice to see one with some different ideas. Mainly, the setting of historic Japan really adds a nice backdrop as Lake explores the blurring of good/evil in the concept of the samurai. Taro dreams of being a samurai, but meets a ninja who teaches him that not all samurai's are good/bad. And somehow, ninja's are vampires. Some of the things that Taro encounters he takes in stride, but the pace of this book keeps the reader from question
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Dec 14, 2011
Emma
rated it:
I know, I know, don't judge a book by its cover, but hey..... I really, really liked this cover! I liked the story, too, but not enough to revisit it. I think there might/should be a sequel, so I will have to look in to that- I would definately read the sequel. There wasn't really enough romance in this book, at least for me, because I am a HUGE sucker for romance.... But the story was excellent. I like the whole theme. I would recommend this to anyone who like Japanese culture, paranormal, vamp
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Jan 24, 2012
Eojin
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Dec 22, 2011
Soluus
rated it:
This book is kind of like Harry Potter set in 16th century Japan.
Imagine it: Taro, a boy of phenomenal importance, looses his parents to an evil lord. Filled with anger and dreams of revenge he sets off on a quest to bring justice to the man responsible for the ruin of his life. He is whisked away by Shusaku, a mysterious ninja vampire, who teaches him valuable life lessons and trains him in the way of the ninja. Taro defeats the evil lord---or so he thinks. Things are about to get muc More...
Imagine it: Taro, a boy of phenomenal importance, looses his parents to an evil lord. Filled with anger and dreams of revenge he sets off on a quest to bring justice to the man responsible for the ruin of his life. He is whisked away by Shusaku, a mysterious ninja vampire, who teaches him valuable life lessons and trains him in the way of the ninja. Taro defeats the evil lord---or so he thinks. Things are about to get muc More...
Jun 12, 2011
Emily
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Nov 11, 2010
BOOK BUTTERFLY
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“Taro had thought that the bloodsucking demons were only storybook things, meant to scare children into obedience, not real killers that could step out of the shadows and kill peasants only three ri from his home. He felt a shiver run down his spine, and a sense that danger had landed in Shirahama, as large and ponderous as a beached whale. Then he shook away the feeling. No, he was safe there, with his best friend, and there was no such thing as kyuuketsuki-not outside the old folktales, an
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Feb 21, 2010
Teri
rated it:
I really enjoyed the old world Japanese theme with Ninjas and Samuris.
Taro and his friend Hiro ARe really great characters.
The rest of the cast is good but could hae been better written in parts.
The story often waivered between great background tidbits and very predicatable and almost anticlimatic action parts.
The Vampire parts of this story are so very secondary and not a main focus that I think it could ahve easily been written out and still been a great story.
Taro and his friend Hiro ARe really great characters.
The rest of the cast is good but could hae been better written in parts.
The story often waivered between great background tidbits and very predicatable and almost anticlimatic action parts.
The Vampire parts of this story are so very secondary and not a main focus that I think it could ahve easily been written out and still been a great story.
Aug 17, 2011
Bianca
rated it:
This book is about a young boy named Taro. When his father is murdered Taro is rescued by a mysterious ninja named Shusaku who was ordered to save him by one of the six ruling lords- Lord Tokugawa. When Taro finds himself in the midst of a conflict between Lord Tokugawa and Lord Oda he is forced into hiding soon he discovers that most of the ninjas in Shusaku's clan are vampires. Being there Taro discovers his true identity- Lord Tokugawa's hidden son.
Apr 02, 2010
Krys
rated it:
Meh.. this did absolutely nothing for me. In fact I jumped ship 80 pages in. The writing style is too long winded, too run on sentence-y, too oblique. I wasn't digging it. I think it might have helped if I was 14 and knew nothing about Japan and the culture psuedo-feudal era. The author was doing a brilliant job world building, don't get me wrong... but the build up was all "This is what Japan was" and I already know that. I wanted something else. And, frankly with this context, I want
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